Sustainability Week highlights cycling as a travel option

The deep-green hues of UVic—from research leadership in ocean and climate studies, to sustainability studies in nearly every academic field—also colours our pride in our natural spaces  and sustainable on-campus operations. But we can’t pat ourselves on the back too quickly, either. Unless we’re prepared to turn off the lights and heat on campus, cycling and transit will continue to play key roles in reducing our carbon footprint, individually and as a concerned community.

We’ve already made good strides: nearly 8,000 members of UVic’s campus community use public transit, pedal power and shoe leather in getting to and from campus every day. And despite significant enrolment growth on campus, there are fewer cars in our parking lots than there were 15 years ago. 

Cycling, transportation options and personal commitments to reduce carbon footprints are key themes of UVic’s second annual Sustainability Week, Oct. 13-16. The occasion is an opportunity for the university to celebrate its commitment to sustainability through activities and events for students, faculty and staff. 

Cycling was something runner Shari Winter left behind until severely injuring her leg while pounding the pavement a couple of years ago.

“I was having the best run—and then I tripped,” recalls Winter, executive assistant to UVic President Jamie Cassels. An ambulance rushed her to hospital. The diagnosis: A compound fracture, followed by 18 months of slow, painful rehab. And no more running.

Winter became a cycling convert practically overnight from that point. She met the challenge of Bike to Work Week last May. “I haven’t gotten off my bike since,” says Winter. “What a great way to start the day. The ride in the morning really helps get my knee mobile. It’s become a way of life now—something I really enjoy. I’m totally a convert to cycling, I’m getting more confident and it makes me feel a lot better.”

Shedding the car also means reducing carbon emissions. Winter previously drove to work for 30 years. “I wish I had done this earlier, but it’s never too late,” says Winter, among more than 2,000 staff, students and faculty members who cycle to campus every day. 

Sustainability Week, Oct. 13-16, aims at getting people out of their cars to reduce their carbon footprint. Cycling is a major theme, and activities include a mural art project at the Campus Bike Centre, free bike tune-ups, a bike maintenance workshop and a birthday celebration— with cake—to mark the second anniversary of the Campus Bike Centre. (More information on the week’s activities, including a documentary film on food waste: bit.ly/20green15.) 

“At UVic, sustainability is our commitment to future generations,” says Kristi Simpson, associate vice president of financial planning and operations. “Our vision builds on the collective action of the university community through planning, shared learning, grassroots activities and institutional leadership.”

UVic’s commitment to sustainability is also expressed in dynamic learning. Sustainability is a core part of more than 300 courses and experiential learning programs among many of UVic’s faculties, departments and schools. Beyond the classroom, there are field schools addressing such issues as environmental law, sustainable social and business practices, and human dimensions of climate change. 

In addition to ecologically related research undertaken in many faculties and departments, UVic is home to such agencies and research consortiums as the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, Environment Canada’s Pacific Institute for Climate Modelling and Analysis, the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems (IESVic) and the student-led UVic Sustainability Project, among others. 

The university’s leadership in sustainable operations has also been well-recognized. Last year UVic was awarded a gold rating by the Association for the Advancement in Higher Education for top marks under the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS). And our performance is on the right track, as well: UVic’s Carbon Neutral Action Report 2014, shows greenhouse gas emission levels decreased 11.8 per cent in 2014, compared to 2013.